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Gilgunnia Pest Exclusion ClusterLand managers and members of the Gilgunnia Landcare unite to form a cluster group to better manage the impact of pest animals on productivity using Total Pest Exclusion Fencing. https://landcare.nsw.gov.au/groups/lachlandcare/gilgunnia-pest-exclusion-clusterhttps://landcare.nsw.gov.au/@@site-logo/landcare-nsw-logo-200.png

Gilgunnia Pest Exclusion Cluster

Land managers and members of the Gilgunnia Landcare unite to form a cluster group to better manage the impact of pest animals on productivity using Total Pest Exclusion Fencing.

Gilgunnia Pest Exclusion Cluster

Land managers and members of the Gilgunnia Landcare unite to form a cluster group to better manage the impact of pest animals on productivity using Total Pest Exclusion Fencing.

Building our Future -

LLCI011-007

The issue

The threat of wild dogs and the impact oftransient feral goat, pig and kangaroo populations onsustainable grazing management strategies and productivity within the Gilgunnia/Burthong region, led to land managers and members of Gilgunnia Landcare uniting to take action.

"The impact these unchecked populations are having on the landscape is making it impossible for us to manage ground cover"....Cluster President Dean Hague laments. "We needed to do more. We've invested so much time and money already into pest animal control and sustainable practices, but without a barrier all our hard work was going down the gurgler and with it, our sanity".

The solution

Land managers and members of Gilgunnia Landcare decided to form the Gilgunnia Cluster which includes 22 properties south of Nymagee, located 100km west of Condobolin in western NSW. The group sought assistance from their Local Landcare Coordinator to submit an application to the Local Land Services Western Region'sPest and Weed Drought Fund. They were successful in gaining approximately $560,000 in funding to assist with erecting 210km of Total Pest Exclusion fencing, encompassing an area of around 500,000 acres. The funding was used in conjunction with a landholder contribution of $1.30/acre to purchase materials to erect the exclusion fence by June 2017.

The impact

The benefits of this particular cluster are yet to be seen, however the outcomes of other cluster groups suggest that it will have far-reaching benefits to not only the individual landholder, but the entire landscape. The productivity to be gained by better control over pest animals will have a flow-on affect to the whole community in terms of profitability, productivity, longevity as well as the protection of our biodiversity.

Reports on producers receiving a return on investment within 18 months of erecting the fence, along with knock-on benefits to rural communities and already observed benefits in terms of future land values are all additional to the benefits of minimising the negative impacts that pest animals can have on productivity and the landscape.

"It's a big investment, but it will be the best investment I make for my family, my business, for the landscape and for biodiversity within the region"... Dave Worsnop, producer and cluster member.